Title 6 – May 2017 KQ 4 : To what extent does our ability to “Reason” fit in with the our “ pattern seeking” nature?

The top down nature of Agenticity, by gripping and superimposing our Imagination, bound together with power of expectation and power of belief , drives human assessment and judgement.

After the Beliefs take hold, Human brains actively seek confirmatory evidence in support of these beliefs that in turn reinforce the support for the preexisting beliefs, taking the process in self confirming loops and cycles of beliefs consolidation and confirmation.

“Dr. Shermer also provides the neuroscience behind our beliefs and

positive feedback loop of belief confirmation and outlines numerous cognitive tools our brains engage to reinforce our beliefs as truths and to insure that we are always right.”

Using our Education , Intelligence , Reason and Evidence , we furnish stronger defence for the beliefs we hold. Once we believe or see the way we want to, we find the evidence to fit in with our prior biases – Filtering out things that do not fit and filtering in things that fit. We filter the world around us with our beliefs. We hang out with our fellow thinkers , read what we normally confirm with – it is rewarding , it is the release of dopamine. Once we have an idea in mind , everything we see becomes pregnant with meaning.

According to Dr Shermer , science is the best tool ever devised to determine whether or not a belief matches reality. We can limit the extent to which ourbiases can distort our perceptions of the reality. With its own and unique self correcting peer review system, Science lets us bounce ideas off other people who tell when we are wrong and yes , science does provide a possibility to live a bias free life.